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The Week Ahead in New York Politics, January 23


New York City Hall

New York City Hall


What to watch for this week in New York politics:

As the week begins, President Donald Trump administration continues to take shape, with key cabinet nominees in limbo as the Senate considers them. Trump has promised a wave of early executive orders to rescind orders President Obama issued. He began this effort soon after being sworn in on Friday, but is expected to increase the volume significantly early this week. Over the weekend, Trump and his spokespeople continued to lash out at critics, denounce the media, and tell lies.

Here in New York, state legislative budget hearings kick off this week as the Legislature considers Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Executive Budget proposal. This week will see further deconstruction of Cuomo’s agenda and budget, in formal hearings and beyond.

Meanwhile, Mayor Bill de Blasio’s preliminary budget plan is due by the end of the day on Tuesday, and we’re expecting a presentation from the mayor that day. De Blasio’s initial plan comes just after Cuomo’s Executive Budget and as everyone waits to see what kind of budget actions President Trump and a Republican-led Congress have in store. A state budget is due by April 1; a city budget by July 1.

The mayor will head to Albany a week from Monday, on January 30, to testify at a state budget hearing. This Monday, de Blasio begins his week with two public events -- see details below. Gov. Cuomo has three public events on Monday, details also below.

There's also a busy City Council schedule this week, and a great deal more happening in the city and Albany -- see our day-by-day rundown below.

***Do you have events or topics for us to include in an upcoming Week Ahead in New York Politics?
e-mail Gotham Gazette editor Ben Max: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.***

The run of the week in detail:

Monday
Mayor de Blasio will deliver remarks at the New York Building Congress Annual Conference at 12:30 p.m. Monday in Manhattan. In the 7 and 10 p.m. hours, de Blasio will appear on NY1’s Inside City Hall.

At the City Council on Monday:

  • At 1 p.m., the Committees on Governmental Operations and Contracts will hold a joint Oversight Hearing on DCAS’ solar power purchase agreement.
  • At 1 p.m., the Committee on Environmental Protection will meet to discuss a proposed law on flood mitigation in southeast Queens.

At 3:45 p.m. Monday, Public Advocate Letitia James will deliver remarks at City Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez's Big Brothers, Big Sisters National Mentoring Month Event at Morris Jumel Mansion.

Governor Cuomo is in Clinton, Onondaga, Niagara, Erie and Albany Counties making a series of announcements: at 10 a.m. at Plattsburgh International Airport; at 12:15 p.m. at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse; and at 2:45 p.m. at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Niagara Falls.

The New York State Legislature will be in session on Monday in Albany.

At 11 a.m. on Monday in Albany, the Assembly Standing Committees on Local Governments and Cities will have a budget oversight hearing to “examine the allocation of funds to the Municipal Restructuring Fund and the Municipal Consolidation and Efficiency Competition in the State Fiscal Year 2016-2017 Budget.”

POSTPONED DUE TO WEATHER [Beginning at 10 p.m. on Monday, the NYC Department of Homeless Services will have its once-a-year Homeless Outreach Population Estimate (HOPE). This is a “HUD-mandated citywide community volunteer effort to count each homeless person living in public spaces across the five boroughs during the coldest time of the year.” Many elected officials typically join in the count, helping to rally volunteers at the outset.] TO BE RESCHEDULED FOR FEBRUARY

Tuesday
At 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Crain’s New York will have a forum with all five New York City borough presidents. “[A]ttendees will hear firsthand what the borough presidents envision for their boroughs and the city, and their top priorities for 2017.” Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., Queens Borough President Melinda Katz, and Staten Island Borough President James Oddo will be the panelists. The moderator will be Erik Engquist, the Assistant Managing Editor of Crain's New York Business.

Mayor de Blasio will outline his preliminary budget proposal for fiscal year 2018 on Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. at City Hall.

At the City Council on Tuesday:

  • At 9:30 a.m., the Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises will meet.
  • At 10 a.m., the Committee on Technology will meet for an oversight hearing on the data and verification plan from the Mayor’s Office of Data Analytics.
  • At 11 a.m., the Subcommittee on Landmarks, Public Siting and Maritime Uses will meet.
  • At 1 p.m., the Committee on Education will meet for an oversight hearing on teacher recruitment and retention. [Read our preview: Teacher Recruitment, Retention Will Be Focus of City Council Hearing]
  • At 1 p.m., the Subcommittee on Planning, Dispositions and Concessions will meet.
  • At 3:30 p.m., the Committee on Youth Services will meet for a tour of the Beacon Program at M.S. 2 in Brooklyn, at 655 Parkside Avenue.

At 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, there will be a joint legislative budget hearing on higher education at Hearing Room B in the Legislative Office Building in Albany.

The New York State Legislature will be in session on Tuesday in Albany.

At 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, Governor Cuomo will make an announcement at SUNY Rochester Educational Opportunity Center.

Lieutenant Governor Hochul will highlights Governor Cuomo's State of the State and Budget Proposals at two events Tuesday: 11 a.m. at Marist College and 4:30 p.m. at the Queens Chamber of Commerce.

At 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in Brooklyn, City Council Member Rafael Espinal will host a “Know Your Rights” town hall "in conjunction with the Mayor’s Office of Community Affairs and other citywide agencies" at the Ridgewood Bushwick Youth Center.

At 8 p.m. Tuesday evening, Public Advocate Letitia James will participate in ""Challenges Facing Women Elected Officials" panel at Coney Island Hospital in Brooklyn.

Wednesday
At the City Council on Wednesday:

  • At 10 a.m., the Committees on General Welfare and Aging will hold a joint oversight hearing on reducing the city’s food insecurity.
  • At 1 p.m., the Committee on Public Housing will hold an oversight hearing on “the public ecosystem of NYC: public housing and the public workforce.”

The MTA will have a board meeting at 10 a.m. Wednesday.

At 10 a.m. Wednesday, there will be a joint legislative budget hearing on workforce development at Hearing Room B in the Legislative Office Building in Albany.

At 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce will sponsor a “State of the State Presentation with Hon. Kathy Hochul.” Lieutenant Governor Hochul will be speaking at Brooklyn Law School.

At 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Crain’s New York will hold “After the Inauguration: The New U.S. Administration and Its Impact on EU-U.S. Economic Relations.” This discussion will include Ambassador Miriam Sapiro, Partner and Head of Finsbury’s Washington DC Office; and Sven C. Oehme, President, American Business Forum on Europe.

Thursday
At 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, the Association for a Better New York will have a “University Presidents Panel Breakfast.” These college presidents “will discuss how New York City's institutions of higher learning are preparing the workforce of the future.” The panelists include Lee C. Bollinger, President of Columbia University; Andrew Hamilton, President of New York University; Dan Huttenlocher, Dean and Vice Provost of Cornell Tech; Peretz Lavie, President of Technion-Israel Institute of Technology; and James B. Milliken, Chancellor at The City University of New York. Rachel Haot, Managing Director of 1776, will be the moderator.

At the City Council on Thursday:

  • At 10 a.m., the Committees on Public Safety and Transportation will hold an oversight hearing on Vision Zero, and discuss multiple proposed laws.
  • At 11 a.m., the Committee on Land Use will meet.

On Thursday at 12 p.m., the Manhattan Institute will hold “The New Brooklyn: What It Takes To Bring A City Back.” This speaker will be Kay Hymowitz, a William E. Simon Fellow at the Manhattan Institute.

At 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, the Vera Institute of Justice will hold “Prisoner Reentry as a Social Institution and the Making Up of the “Ex-offender.”” Ruben Miller, an Assistant Professor of Social Work at the University of Michigan, will talk about “how U.S. crime control policies have produced a new form of citizenship for the criminalized poor, changing the nature of American public and private life and transforming the shape of American democracy.”

At 2:30 p.m. Thursday, the Center for Community and Ethnic Media at CUNY Journalism School will host a Newsmakers 2017 Q&A with city Comptroller Scott Stringer. In conversation with Errol Louis, Stringer “will discuss the health of the city's economy, the budgetary risks it faces under a Trump presidency, its financial plan, the spending of city agencies with minority- and women-owned businesses, homelessness and the cost of hotel room shelters to the city, affordable housing, and immigrants' contributions to the city.”

At 6 p.m. Thursday, City Council Member Andy King will host a workshop “for community-based organizations that would like to apply for discretionary funding from his office,” at the Williamsbridge NAACP ECE Center in The Bronx.

On Thursday at 6:30 p.m., Comptroller Scott Stringer will host a Southeast Queens Town Hall. At the Robert Ross-Johnson Family Life Center in Jamaica, the event is in partnership with Congressman Gregory Meeks, State Senator James Sanders, Jr., State Senator Leroy Comrie, State Assemblywoman Vivian Cook, State Assemblywoman Alicia Hyndman, State Assemblywoman Michele Titus, and State Assemblyman Clyde Vanel.

Friday and the weekend
On Friday at 10 a.m. Queens Borough President Melinda Katz will deliver her 2017 State of the Borough Address.

At 10 a.m. Friday, NYC Votes will hold its “2017 Citywide Debates Information Session.” This event will be “an opportunity for potential sponsors to learn more about the Program's details, ask questions, and meet other potential sponsors.”

On Saturday from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m., City Council Member Laurie Cumbo will continue her Community Exchange Series, this one on how to form a 501(c)(3) organization and at Medgar Evers College.

On Sunday at 1 p.m., Staten Island Borough President James Oddo will hold a “Direct Connect Sunday.” His version of a “state of the borough,” Oddo’s event is a “comprehensive look at how we’re working every day to help make Staten Island a great place to live and work and play.”

On Sunday at 3 p.m., U.S. Rep. Adriano Espaillat will have a New York City swearing-in ceremony at Yeshiva University. Espaillat represents New York's 13th Congressional District.

***
Have events or topics for us to include in an upcoming Week Ahead in New York Politics? E-mail Gotham Gazette executive editor Ben Max any time: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (please use "For Week Ahead" as email subject).

***
by Brendan Birth and Ben Max
@GothamGazette

Teacher Recruitment, Retention Will Be Focus of City Council Hearing


Dromm de Blasio Farina

Mayor de Blasio, Council Member Dromm, Chancellor Fariña (photo: Demetrius Freeman/Mayor's Office)


On Tuesday, the education committee of the New York City Council will hold an oversight hearing on teacher recruitment and retention.

“One of the things I want to draw out is why do we lose 50 percent of our teachers within five years of their starting,” said City Council Member Danny Dromm, chair of the education committee and a retired long-time public school teacher himself. “It’s a hearing that I’ve wanted to do for a while,” Dromm added in a recent interview.

Representatives from the city Department of Education are among those expected to testify at Tuesday’s hearing, which is at 1 p.m. at City Hall. When asked, DOE spokespeople did not provide Gotham Gazette with comment ahead of time or specific data that DOE reps will present at the hearing.

New York City, like many other school systems, has struggled to recruit a diverse teacher workforce, especially men of color, and to retain its teacher -- as Dromm said, the city has an exceptionally high rate of teacher departure from the school system. It’s unclear if the rate is quite as high as 50 percent, but data does show that more than one-third of new teachers leave the profession by the end of their fifth year, largely within the first three years.

“What are the contributing factors to that?” Dromm asked, explaining what he hopes to get at in the hearing, “Salary? Lack of support? The evaluation system? What are the reasons that we’re losing all those teachers?”

Dromm said he’s expecting to hear from the DOE, as well as representatives of the United Federation of Teachers (UFT), and other stakeholders, including advocates. Dromm hopes that several teachers, and perhaps even students and parents, will attend and testify. He said he often likes to schedule his committee hearings for 1 p.m. so that people can come after school hours.

While the UFT has had a strong relationship with Mayor Bill de Blasio and this administration, there have been areas of disagreement or conflict that do relate to teacher retention: the union has criticized the administration’s moves to drastically reduce student suspensions, explaining that teachers need more support, and the work climate at the city’s most-struggling schools -- those in its Renewal program -- which have continued to see especially high rates of teacher turnover.

Asked in 2015 about high turnover rates at Renewal schools, de Blasio pivoted to discuss teacher retention across the city. “I think the challenge of teacher retention is system-wide,” the mayor said at a press conference. “It’s very tough work...People who do it, do it because they’re true believers...You’re talking about, obviously, a lot of kids who come from very disadvantaged circumstances, a lot of kids whose first language is not English, and 171,000 kids who happen to have special needs...Until very recently in this city, teachers were being attacked on a regular basis by the leadership of the school system and the city. We’ve changed that. We support our teachers and they know it.”

David Bloomfield, an education professor and also a former K-12 teacher, believes that “the retention piece really has everything to do with conditions in the schools, such as class size, such as myriad central mandates, on top of the changing Common Core requirements."

The “lack of retention” also creates a snowballing effect, Bloomfield said, where “so many teachers are new, so many of these teachers are just trying to get their feet on the ground” yet they are often employed in the most challenging schools, receive the most challenging course schedules, and do not receive the support they need to feel successful.

"The greatest vacancies are in the most difficult schools,” Bloomfield said, “the better schools don't have the vacancies." Additionally, he said, "there are accountability measures in place that make it an unattractive profession."

Research on teacher retention is somewhat mixed, though studies do point to the importance of strong administrators (principals, vice principals) and the value of mentors in reducing teacher departures.

"To improve retention, the organization of teaching would require a sea change in how teachers are employed,” Bloomfield said. "The best thing they can do is to improve the school environment. A school is a teacher's workplace: improve facilities, improve classroom conditions, including class size. Even parking," he said with a laugh, but stressed that it can be one of many parts of the job environment that matter to people.

"The other issues are salary and benefits, which have improved under de Blasio, but don't compare to the suburbs,” Bloomfield said.

Indeed, referring to both professional development investment in teachers and their high rates of departure, Dromm said, “Our teachers get recruited out to Long Island. We train them and they go out to the Island.”

Professional development for teachers is expected to be a key theme of the hearing. Enhancing teacher PD has been a major focus of city schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña, who was appointed to the role by Mayor Bill de Blasio at the start of his term and has been involved in the city school system for five decades, including as a teacher. Fariña's focus on more PD for teachers includes opportunities to teach new courses as the city has expanded its computer science and Advanced Placement offerings under the mayor's Equity and Excellence agenda.

Mentioning the new weekly professional development block that Fariña instituted for all teachers, Dromm said, “I want to know some of what is going on, how that professional development piece is going...If we hear that the support is not there for new teachers, advocating for that support will be an outcome of this.”

De Blasio has stressed the importance of professional development and his administration’s focus on supporting teachers, saying at the 2015 press conference, “Until recently, teachers were not getting the kind of support for teacher training...if you’re a professional you want to keep getting better – that training makes a world of difference – we’ve double down on teacher training.”

“I think we’re seriously addressing teacher retention by trying to build the foundation for a rewarding work dynamic,” de Blasio said. “But there’s a lot more we’re going to have to do beyond that.”

Agreeing that teachers clearly feel “less under attack” than when Michael Bloomberg was Mayor, Professor Bloomfield said the de Blasio-Fariña regime has “certainly improved the tone so that teachers feel more valued now” and that when it comes to teacher retention, “their positive relationship with the union is probably helpful.” To truly improve teacher retention, Bloomfield said, would require major “structural” changes to the profession that simply haven’t happened yet.

Aside from shifts in how teachers are treated and their work environments, there are other issues related to retention, but also the recruitment piece, which will also be part of Tuesday’s hearing. This is likely to center around how the city is both attracting top teaching talent generally, but especially men of color.

Just 8 percent of the city’s nearly 80,000 teachers are men of color, a statistic that led the de Blasio administration to in 2015 launch NYC Men Teach, which seeks to add 1,000 male teachers of color to the city’s classrooms by the 2018-2019 school year.

Tuesday’s hearing is likely to include an update from the DOE on NYC Men Teach, as well as other recruitment efforts.

In terms of retention and the city’s teaching workforce, there are also calls for tougher weeding out of weak teachers in their early years while increasing efforts to hold on to strong teachers well into their careers. This is where debates over “teacher accountability” and tenure come in -- some believe that it is both too easy to gain tenure and too easy to keep your job as a teacher. Questions also persist about a career ladder for teachers so that they can move into mentoring, coaching, and department head type roles without leaving the classroom to become administrators or leaving education altogether.

“It’s a very difficult job,” Dromm said of teaching, “and I don’t think people fully understand or appreciate what teachers have to do. There’s a glamorized idea of working 8 to 3:30 and having summers off. But [retention] numbers help show: this is a tough job.”

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by Ben Max, Gotham Gazette
     

Read more by this writer.

Council Member Airs Weekly Radio Show Through Campaign Funds


greenfield mic 2

City Council Member David Greenfield (photo: William Alatriste)


For elected officials, there is no shortage of means to communicate with constituents and the broader public, whether through modern lines of social media or more traditional newspaper op-eds or television appearances and ads. But even now, radio is one method of communication that has endured as a choice for elected officials in New York City and beyond. One City Council member, though, has taken a novel approach to radio by hosting a weekly show paid through campaign funds.

Council Member David Greenfield, a power broker from Brooklyn who chairs the Council’s land use committee, has been hosting a weekly radio show since 2013 on 620 AM. In the current election cycle, Greenfield has thus far spent $136,500 in campaign funds hosting the show, per the latest disclosures filed with the Campaign Finance Board for 2014-2017 activity.

On the show, which airs every Thursday at 7 p.m., Greenfield takes calls, interviews guests, and covers local issues germane to his constituents in Council District 44, as well as national and international politics, much of it concerning Israel and the Jewish community.

The show has touched on everything from the presidential election and terrorist attacks in Belgium to local housing policy, the 421-a real estate tax break, and even holiday cooking tips.

Greenfield, who was not made available to discuss his show and its funding, has hosted a number of prominent guests on the show, including state and local elected officials, religious leaders, and journalists and commentators. Governor Andrew Cuomo appeared on the program once, in 2014, as have other top electeds including Comptroller Scott Stringer and several of Greenfield’s City Council colleagues.

In 2010, Greenfield began to appear on what was then the Nachum Segal Radio Show on 620 AM. In early 2013, he started guest hosting episodes of the show and took over the program later that year. What makes Greenfield’s approach unique is both that he is a sitting elected official hosting a weekly program and that his show is paid for directly from his campaign fundraising. Greenfield, a prolific fund-raiser, especially as chair of the powerful land use committee, was elected to the Council in a special election in 2010, re-elected in 2013, and is likely to cruise to reelection for another term this year.

In the last election cycle, between April 2011 and January 2014, he spent $49,675 cumulatively on those radio appearances and radio advertisements.

The Council member, who often promotes the show on his Twitter account, does not receive any compensation for the show or allow any advertisements. His expenditure on radio airtime counts for a significant portion of his total campaign spending of $307,000 so far in the current cycle. He has raised more than $822,000 -- far above his Council colleagues -- leaving him a balance of about $502,000. Interestingly, Greenfield has yet to declare which office he will run for in 2017. Though it is likely he’ll run for reelection to his City Council seat, Greenfield is among the “undeclared” Council members who may be eyeing a run for Comptroller, Public Advocate, or a Borough President position if any of the current officeholders were themselves to vacate.

“Out of an abundance of caution, the Councilman decided before launching his show not to allow advertisers to pay for the actual cost of the show to prevent even the appearance of a possible conflict of interest with potential advertisers,” said Stephen Snowder, a Council staff spokesperson for Greenfield, who also tweets about the show from his private account. “Instead, the Councilman pays for the show out of his campaign and even carries a disclaimer before the show that explains that it is a paid radio show.” Greenfield's payments go from his campaign account to Talkline Communications Network.

A campaign spokesperson separately said Greenfield sought out and carefully followed advice from the Conflicts of Interest Board when setting up the show. A COIB spokesperson declined to comment on the matter.

Many elected officials have relied on radio for outreach, of course, though rarely as the host of a show. In a medium famous for President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s fireside chats, Mayor Bill de Blasio started appearing on WNYC for a weekly “Ask the Mayor” segment in May of last year, following in the footsteps of his predecessors, Michael Bloomberg and Rudy Giuliani, who regularly appeared on the radio airwaves.

And Greenfield is not the only sitting City Council member with a radio show, although his is the longest running. Just last Friday, Council Member Andy King, from the Bronx, launched “King Talk Radio Show,” a 30-minute weekly segment broadcast Friday evenings through Blog Talk Radio, an internet radio service.

“When I first got in office, I made a commitment to my constituents that I’ll keep them engaged in every way possible,” King said in a brief phone interview with Gotham Gazette. “I wouldn’t say this is a constituent service. It’s just a way to communicate with the residents of the 12th District.”

King said, in the lead up to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, he hoped to increase his outreach and to spread the word on his annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day open house, where he meets and greet constituents. As with Greenfield, King hopes to address constituent concerns and debate public policy.

King’s show isn’t connected to his campaign. He announced the show in an email sent out from his City Council office, which would likely preclude him from addressing campaign-related questions. “I never thought to ask [the Conflicts of Interest Board],” King said, when Gotham Gazette asked if he’d sought guidance on the radio segment. But he insisted that he would address the issue if it arises and that his intent is not to campaign but to communicate. “I really don’t want anyone to take an apple and turn it into an orange,” he said. “Everything doesn’t have to revolve around politics in an election year.”

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by Samar Khurshid, senior reporter, Gotham Gazette
     

Read more by this writer.



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